Television layout template



June 1957 5. J. SAMPSON TELEVISION LAYQUT TEMPLATE Filed Nov. 2, 1953' IN VEN TOR. SOCRATES J. SAMPSON ATTORNEY United States Patent TELEVISION LAYOUT TEMPLATE Socrates J. Sampson, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor of onefourth to Albert R. Rein, Syracuse, N. Y.

Application November 2, 1953, Serial No. 389,584

7 Claims. (Cl. 33-1) This invention relates to television layout templates, and more particularly to a template adapted for the preparation of display cards with the material thereon suitably disposed for televising.

In the preparation of television display material, it is important to assure that the material thereof essential to the display be restricted to a central restricted area, which will be assured of reception by all television receivers, and further that maximum use of such area be made. At the same time, additional fringe area is available for use for secondary material, since reception of such wider area is had on many receivers.

The present invention is directed to a template adapted to assure the proper layout of such material, bearing in mind the area available for reception by all receivers and such additional area as is embraced by a large proportion of the receivers. The template is adapted to be used as a guide in the laying out of material to assure maximum usage of the area certain of reception and to provide a guide for the outside limits of the area for which reception may be had. In addition, the template provides a guide to indicate the extent of marginal background area required to assure that the display will fill the screen of all receivers, so that the receiver in all instances will provide the framing for the display.

Additionally, the template provides a guide for the mounting of a series of displays so that each display, when prepared in accordance with such guide, will be supported in like manner, whereby a series of displays adapted for sequential use will each be in true alignment with the television camera, once the camera is aligned for any one of the displays. Further, the template is provided with guides whereby display material may be readily marked for photographic reproduction, and particularly the production of transparencies for television camera projection, with the display properly centered in such transparencies.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

' Figure 1 is a plan view of a template embodying the invention; and V Figure 2 is a perspective view of a television camera, and easel supporting displays as produced by the template.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a template formed of a sheet of material 10, which may be transparent Celluloid or other relatively stilt, durable material, of a thickness of or thereabouts. The sheet of material or plate may be rectangular, and for convenience, may be 11" x 14", although various sizes maybe used, in accordance with the size ofthe display material to be produced. 1

ice

Such plate is provided with a large circular aperture 12 of a diameter of about 9", the edge 14 being a true circle and being adapted to act as a guide for marking a circular guide area upon a blank display card to which material'is to be added;

In addition to the circular aperture 12, there are provided arcuate apertures 16 and 18, each of which has; an outer arcuate edge 20 and 22, respectively, to act as a guide for determining the outer limits of any display material, and to indicate a boundary beyond which the background of the display must extend, in order to assure that every television receiver will in effect form its own frame for the material telecast. The ratio of the radius x of the circular aperture, -as compared to the radius y of the arcuate edges 20 and 22, will be in the ratio of 3 to 4, and the length of the arcs 20 and 22 will be seen to be such as to embrace a chordal dimension equal to the diameter of the circular aperture 12. l 7

Each of the arcuate edges 20 and 22 and the circular edge 14 will be disposed so as to be symmetrical about the longitudinal and transverse axes 24 and 26, respectively. The arcuate apertures 16 and 18 may be of any desired shape so long as the aperture embraces the arcuate edges 20 and 22, whose centers coincide with the center of the circular edge, such edges terminating at top and bottom as at 2 8 and 30, the spacing between the ends of the arcs being the diameter of the circular aperture aforesaid, the ends terminating at parallel lines tangent to the top and bottom of the circular edge 14.

The template will preferably be provided with right angle guide edges 32 and 34, 36 and 38, 40 and 42, and 44 and 46, formed by angular slots 48, 50, 52 and 54 cut in the material, the guide edges 34 and 36, 38 and 40, 42 and 44, 46 and 32, defining a rectangular area having the same longitudinal and transverse axes 24 and 26.

The transverse and longitudinal dimensions of such area will be in the ratio of 4 to 5, to correspond with the standard photographic negative.

The ends of such rectangular area as defined by the guide edges 34 and 36, and 42 and 44, will be tangent to the arcs 22 and 20, respectively. The apertures 48, 50, 52 and 54, and their right angle guide edges, will facilitate marking of the layout, so that in the event photographic transparencies are to be made, the photo camera may be directed at the chart and the photographic plate exposure area aligned with the rectangular markers on the layout chart. The layout will thereby be accurately centered.

Along the upperedge of the template are provided a series of three apertures 56, 58 and 60, adapted to provide a guide for apertures to be placed in the display chart, and by which the finished display charts may be suspended during televising. As shown in Figure 2, aplurality of display charts, such as 70, 72 and 74 and 76, of the same size, may besupported upon binder rings 78, and 82, such rings being similar to the well-known split rings used in looseleaf notebooks, which rings may be opened or closed for the insertion or removal of leaves. The binder rings are secured in any suitable fashion upon an easel 84, and a chart such as 72, when suspended as shown on such rings, will thereby be held in position for viewing of a television camera 86. Once the camera is aligned upon the chart 72, any number of other charts, such as 70, 74 and 76 may be quickly exposed to the camera by manually flipping the desired chart into the position of chart 72, and flipping the overlying charts to the elevated position of chart70. Thus,

through theaccurate location of ring apertures upon the.

charts according, to the template guides 56, 58 and 60,

stantly into or out of view. In practice, the charts may be flipped sufliciently fast to produce an animated effect, if desired, and without requiring any realignment or adjustment in the relation between the television camera and easel. I

' It will thus be seen that with such a template,.the areas may be quickly laid out on a blank chart to be prepared, and the preparation'of such chart thereafter merely requires proper consideration and recognition of the significances of the areas thus designated. At the same time, such chart is readily coordinated with other charts in the event it is to be supported on an easel during televising, and also provided with coordination for photographic reproduction in the form of transparencies should photographic reproduction be desired.

It will be appreciated that the template may be made in various sizes to suit any layout size, the important relationships, however, being that the arcuate guides 20 and 22 be of a radius 4/3 that of the circular guide 1.4, and that the rectangular area defined by the angular guides 32 and 34, 3,6 and 38, 40 and 42, and 44 and 46, define an area Whose longitudinal and transverse dimensions are in the ratio of 5 to 4, the longitudinal dimension being the same as twice the radius of the arcuate guides 20 and 22.

The template may be employed in connection with prepared charts to quickly show that portion, such as 88, which may be expected to appear on all receivers, and that portion, such as !0, which may appear on many, and also to check the presence of suflicient marginal background around the areas 88 and 90 to thereby provide a sure check to determine whether the prepared chart is suitable for televising, and on what scale, provided sufiicient marginal background appears.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having centrally located therein a large'circular guide aperture, and opposed generally arcuate apertures on opposite sides of said circular aperture, each of said arcuate apertures having an arcuate guide edge concentric with said circular aperture and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular aperture, said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said circular aperture extending parallel with the respective edges of said sheet, and the radius of said circular aperture and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4.

2. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having centrally located therein a large circular guide aperture, and opposed generally arcuate apertures on opposite sides of said circular aperture, each of said arcuate apertures having an arcuate guide edge concentric with said circular aperture and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular aperture, said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said circular aperture extending parallel with the respective edges of said sheet, the radius of said circular aperture and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4, said template having a pair of guide holes arranged on a line parallel with the longitudinal axis and spaced therefrom a distance greater than the radius 4 of said circular aperture, said guide holes being disposed symmetrically with respect to said transverse axis. 3. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having centrally located therein a large circular guide aperture, and opposed generally arcuate apertures on opposite sides of said circular aperture, each of said arcuate apertures having an arcuate guide edge concentric with said circular aperture and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular aperture, said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said circular aperture extending parallel with the respective edges of said sheet, and the radius of said circular aperture and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4, said template having guide edges defining a rectangular area having the same longitudinal and transverse axes as said circular aperture, two opposed sides of said rectangular area thus defined being tangent to said opposed arcuate guide edges.

4. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having centrally located therein a large circular guide aperture, and opposed generally arcuate apertures on opposite sides of said circular aperture, each of said arcuate apertures having an arcuate guide edge concentric with said circular aperture and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular aperture, said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said [circular aperture extending parallel with the respective edges of said sheet, and the radius of said circular aperture and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4, said template having guide edges defining a rectangular area having the same longitudinal and transverse axes as said circular aperture, two opposed sides of said rectangular area thus defined being tangent to said opposed arcuate guide edges, said rectangular area having transverse and longitudinal dimensions bearing a ratio of 4 to 5.

5. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having centrally located therein a large circular guide aperture, and opposed generally arcuate apertures on opposite sides of said circular aperture, each of said arcuate apertures having an arcuate guide edge concentric with said circular aperture and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular aperture, said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said circular aperture ex tending parallel with the respective edges of said sheet, the radius of said circular aperture and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4, said template having a pair of guide holes arranged on a line parallel with the longitudinal axis and spaced therefrom a distance greater than the radius of said circular aperture, said guide holes being disposed symmetrically With respect to said transverse axis, said template having guide edges defining a rectangular area having the same longitudinal and transverse axes as said circular aperture, two opposed sides of said rectangular area thus defined being tangent to said opposed arcuate guide edges.

6. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having centrally located therein a large circular guide aperture, and opposed generally arcuate apertures on opposite sides of said circular aperture, each of said arcuate apertures having an arcuate guide edge concentric with said circular aperture and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular aperture, said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to longitudinal and transverse axes of said circular aperture extending parallel with the respective edges of said sheet, the radius of said circular aperture and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4, said template having a pair of guide holes arranged on a line parallel with the longitudinal axis and spaced therefrom a distance greater than the radius of said circular aperture, said guide holes being disposed symmetrically with respect to said transverse axis, said template having guide edges defining a rectangular area having the same longitudinal and transverse axes as said circular aperture, two opposed sides of said rectangular area thus defined being tangent to said opposed arcuate guide edges, said rectangular area having transverse and longitudinal dimensions bearing a ratio of 4 to 5.

7. A television display template for use in preparing television display cards and the like, comprising a sheet of material of substantially rectangular shape, said sheet having apertures formed therein defining circular guide edge means of a diameter less than the width of the sheet, and opposed arcuate guide edges concentric with said circular edge means and of a chordal length equal to the diameter of the circular guide edge means, said arcs having chords subtending each are said arcuate guide edges being symmetrically disposed with respect to the longitudinal and transverse axes of said circular guide edge means extending longitudinally and transversely in respect to the rectangular area defined by and lying between said ehords, and the radius of said circular guide edge means and the radius of said arcuate guide edges being substantially in the ratio of 3 to 4.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,061,727 Carlchufi May 13, 1913 1,403,677 Faas Jan. 17, 1922 1,723,517 McFadden Aug. 6, 1929 1,837,704 Dean Dec. 22, 1931 2,244,409 Upton June 3, 1941 2,495,975 Kelly Jan. 31, 1950 2,554,449 Shipps May 22, 1951 

